Chapter Thirteen: A-Level Team Mission
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Chapter Thirteen: An A-Rank Party Quest
“Shopkeeper! This sword…”
Lin Zheng had just been about to say, “I’ll buy it!” when the stout shopkeeper spoke first, grinning broadly. “If you think the sword is a little too expensive, we can always negotiate!”
“Oh?” Lin Zheng raised both brows. Who would willingly let themselves be fleeced if they could pay less? “What do you have in mind? How much of a discount can you give me?”
“Heh-heh! It isn’t really a matter of a discount!” the fat shopkeeper said with a laugh. “There’s something I need done, but I can’t spare the time to handle it myself. It’s been driving me half mad lately. If you help me resolve it, I’ll give you this sword for free. And I’ll reward you handsomely on top of that!”
“Damn! You’ve got to be kidding me! That actually triggered a hidden quest!” a nearby player cried out in dismay.
Lin Zheng shot the fellow a glance but paid no attention to the group of idiots. “I wonder if there’s anything I can do to help.”
“It’s like this,” the shopkeeper explained. “My mischievous child damaged a cauldron in the Alchemists’ Guild. Since I’m responsible, I have to find the materials needed to repair it. Right now, I need a heat-resistant metal ore. I’ve heard that a monster deep inside Frost Crystal Cavern can produce this mineral within its body. Go there and bring me some!”
“You have accepted the quest ‘Trial of Extreme Cold.’ Quest Rank: A, Intermediate. Travel to Frost Crystal Cavern north of Frost City, kill the boss on the lowest level, and obtain its core. Frost Crystal Cavern is a dangerous place. Before setting out, you should find some companions. Maximum number of shared participants: five.”
An intermediate A-rank party quest! The experience and rewards should be excellent. Of course, the difficulty would be just as impressive. And choosing the right party members would be a major problem as well.
Yang Qi could count as one. But who should he find for the other three? A healer was essential, yet the only healer Lin Zheng knew was Xiao Miao—and she was a good little girl who went straight to bed at nine-thirty every night. Far too unreliable.
Forget it. He would contact Yang Qi first and see whether she had anyone suitable to recommend.
“What is it, Little Lin? I’m busy here, so spit it out!” Yang Qi’s voice came through the communication channel. The roar of monsters could be heard in the background; clearly, she was busy grinding levels.
Lin Zheng did not waste time. “I accepted a party quest that requires five people. You’re in.”
“A party quest? What rank?” Yang Qi asked with great interest.
“Intermediate A-rank. The rewards are bound to be excellent!”
“Damn! That’s one hell of a quest. Wait for me—I’m coming right now!”
“Uh, there’s no need to rush. It’s getting late. Let’s go downstairs for something to eat, then come back and do it.”
“That’s true. It’s already seven!”
“I’ll go boil some water and call you when the noodles are ready.”
“Go on, then!”
…
After climbing out of his gaming pod, Lin Zheng immediately went to boil some water. They used new energy everywhere now, and heating technology had improved considerably. Boiling water took only two or three minutes.
In less than ten minutes, two large bowls of noodles were ready. He called Yang Qi over, and the two of them quickly polished off their meals before hurriedly logging back into the game.
As Yang Qi had said, an intermediate A-rank quest was not something they could finish in a few careless moves. They had to hurry.
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When Lin Zheng returned to the game, he appeared outside the equipment shop. He immediately opened his friends list and invited Yang Qi to the party.
As soon as she joined, he noticed that Xiao Meng and You Xi were online. Since the quest required five people, aside from finding a reliable healer, he might as well give the other two spots to his own girls. He sent them both party invitations.
System Notification: “Player Grandson You Xi has joined the party! Player Guardian of Adorable Meng has joined the party!”
“Everyone meet at the city gate. We’re getting ready to do the quest!” Lin Zheng called out in the party channel.
“What kind of quest is it, Fortune-Teller Brother?” Xiao Meng asked.
“You’ll know when you get here!”
“Beep!”
A private message from Yang Qi came through. The moment Lin Zheng accepted it, she immediately shouted, “Two more girls? You little rascal! In a single day, you’ve gotten to know four girls! Are you playing the game or picking up women? Your big sister is heartbroken!”
“Get lost!” Lin Zheng snapped. “And listen carefully. When you meet them later, behave yourself. Especially around You Xi. If you do anything indecent, I’m genuinely worried you’ll get beaten up in real life!”
“Do I look like the kind of person who behaves indecently?” Yang Qi said, stricken with righteous indignation. Then her tone abruptly changed. “This You Xi girl—is she really beautiful? From the way you talk about her, she sounds extraordinary!”
“You Xi is even more popular than Sun Yu at Dragon Garden. What do you think?” Lin Zheng said, rolling his eyes.
“Dragon Garden?” Yang Qi paused. “What Dragon Garden?”
“Damn! Are you really from the capital?”
“Oh! Oh! You mean that school!” Yang Qi finally remembered. She had stayed home for too long and had lost track of many things. “Wait, what did you say? She’s more popular than Sun Yu? How could that be?”
“Believe it or not, that’s up to you. Just don’t act like a lecher. That’s all. Hurry up and get over here!”
Lin Zheng was about to end the private chat when he remembered that they still lacked a priest. He had no choice but to ask, “By the way, do you know any healers? We’re still missing one. This is an A-rank quest, and without a strong healer, the chance of the whole party being wiped out is pretty high!”
“You know that girl called Xiao Miao. I think she’d be perfect. Her skills are excellent, and her emergency healing is incredibly timely. There really aren’t many priests in Frost City who are better than her.”
“I know Xiao Miao is good. The problem is that the little brat gets sleepy and goes to bed at nine-thirty!” Lin Zheng said helplessly. “Look at the time—it’s nearly seven-thirty. She’ll be going to bed in two hours at most. Do you really think we can finish in time?”
“She goes to bed at nine-thirty? Is she a child? That’s ridiculously early!”
“She is a child.”
“Uh…”
Yang Qi seemed to picture Xiao Miao in her mind and fell silent. She really was just a child.
“So what do we do now? I don’t know any other priests either. Why don’t you wait at the city gate and see whether you can find someone who looks agreeable and intelligent? Preferably a healer with a decent level, too,” Yang Qi suggested.
“Looks like that’s our only option. Come over first, and we’ll talk then.”
Lin Zheng ended the private chat with a sigh and walked helplessly toward the gate of Frost City.
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Many players passed in and out of Frost City, and there were quite a few priests among them. But to be honest, he could not find a single one who looked particularly pleasant—or particularly intelligent.
Then again, perhaps Lin Zheng’s standards were simply too high. Or maybe, somewhere in his subconscious, he believed that all powerful priests ought to be beautiful women.
Most gamers were men, after all. Since he could not find any beautiful priestesses, Lin Zheng gradually lost interest in judging whether the others looked agreeable.
When he finally spotted a few people who seemed promising, they already had parties of their own.
What a headache!
“Ah! Ah! Ahhh!”
Lin Zheng tore at his hair in frustration. “Where are all the beautiful priestesses? God! Muhammad! Buddha! The Three Pure Ones! Anyone will do! Please bestow upon me a beautiful priestess!”
Unsurprisingly, his chaotic prayer earned the contempt of the surrounding players. Several pretty girls walked past him with quiet giggles. Naturally, none of them were priests, or Lin Zheng would have pounced on them.
But perhaps his prayer had truly been answered.
A sudden flash of white light appeared before him. A player was logging in.
When the light faded, a beautiful priestess wearing a white ceremonial robe appeared.
“Mmm…”
The girl stretched lazily. Her tightly fitted robe outlined an astonishing S-shaped figure, and a large crowd of lecherous men immediately began swallowing hard.
“Damn! Those are definitely a ten out of ten! She must be at least a thirty-four E!”
“E? I’d say F!”
“Those are lethal weapons! What a devastatingly powerful healer!”
“…”
Lin Zheng looked at the priestess standing before him and thought that, since she had just logged in, she certainly would not have a party yet. Her level did not seem low, either.
As for whether she looked agreeable—she was pure and strikingly beautiful, with the grace of a legendary beauty. And that devilish figure…
Well, she was certainly pleasing to the eye.
But intelligent?
Lin Zheng glanced at her chest. They said that women with large breasts lacked brains. Could this girl prove the saying true?
Forget it. He could not afford to be picky now. Even if she was not intelligent, he would accept her.
Whether she was willing to join his party was a question he completely ignored.
Lin Zheng took two steps forward.
“Hee-hee! Perfect as always today!”
The girl opened a dressing mirror unique to female players and admired herself in it. Then she blew a flirtatious kiss at her reflection, causing the surrounding men to drool uncontrollably.
Lin Zheng was dazzled by her charm as well. What a seductress. Any man who married her would spend every day worrying himself sick.
“Ahem!”
Lin Zheng cleared his throat, immediately drawing the girl’s attention.
The surrounding lechers cursed inwardly.
Damn! Too slow! He beat us to it!
Still, none of them stepped forward. They all wanted to see how Lin Zheng’s attempt at flirting would turn out.
“Hello. My name is Yiping Taoist,” Lin Zheng introduced himself. He even extended a hand as though he intended to shake hers.
The girl paused, then smiled seductively and took his hand.
“My name is Lilith. Nice to meet you.”
“Damn! He’s already holding her hand! If I’d known, I would have gone over first!” one of the lechers complained.
Lin Zheng glanced at the overly testosterone-fueled men, then released Lilith’s delicate, boneless hand.
“I’ve accepted a party quest, and we’re currently short one powerful priest. Would you be interested in helping us?”
“Oh?” Lilith seemed somewhat surprised. After a moment’s thought, she asked, “How many people will be in the party? Are there any other girls?”
“Five people. Including you, there’ll be three girls,” Lin Zheng replied.
“In that case, sure! I’ll join. Send me an invitation.”
Lilith agreed without hesitation. Lin Zheng immediately sent the invitation.
System Notification: “Player Lilith has joined the party!”
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